BATTERY PACK

• US 20130249494A1
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Ju, Ri-A, Kim, Hyun, Kim, Suk-Kyum, Woo, Seok-Gyun
• Granted Patent: US 9,263,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/25 by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00716 in response to integrated charge or discharge current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00719 in response to degree of gas development in the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery pack including: a first terminal; a second terminal; a battery module coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, the battery module having a state of charge; a sensor configured to measure a swelling of the battery module and to generate a swelling data value; and a battery management system configured to control a charging and a discharging of the battery module to reduce a swelling rate of the battery module or to correct the swelling of the battery module according to the swelling data value and the state of charge.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a first terminal;

a second terminal;

a battery module coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, the battery module having a state of charge;

a sensor configured to measure a swelling of the battery module and to generate a swelling data value; and

a battery management system configured to control a charging and a discharging of the battery module to reduce a swelling rate of the battery module or to correct the swelling of the battery module according to the swelling data value and the state of charge.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery management system is configured to control the charging and the discharging of the battery module in between charging and discharging limits.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising a selector coupled between the first terminal and the battery module, the selector comprising:

a plurality of input terminals;

an output terminal coupled to the first terminal; and

a switch configured to selectively couple the plurality of input terminals to the output terminal according to a switch control signal, and

wherein the battery management system is configured to generate the switch control signal such that one of the plurality of input terminals coupled to the battery module is not coupled to the output terminal when the swelling data value is greater than or equal to a reference battery swelling value and the state of charge has reached a limit.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising:

a selector coupled between the first terminal and the battery module, the selector comprising;

a plurality of input terminals;

an output terminal coupled to the first terminal; and

a switch configured to selectively couple the plurality of input terminals to the output terminal according to a switch control signal generated by the battery management system; and

an auxiliary battery module coupled between the selector and the second terminal,

wherein the plurality of input terminals comprises;

a first input terminal coupled to the battery module;

a second input terminal coupled to the auxiliary battery module; and

a third input terminal not coupled to either of the battery module or the auxiliary battery module, and

wherein the switch is configured to selectively couple the output terminal to at least one from among the first input terminal, the second input terminal, and the third input terminal according to the switch control signal.

5. The battery pack of claim 4,

wherein the battery management system is configured to generate the switch control signal such that the second input terminal is coupled to the output terminal when the swelling data value is greater than or equal to a reference battery swelling value and the state of charge has reached a limit.

6. The battery pack of claim 4,

wherein the selector further comprises:

a first variable resistor coupled between the first input terminal and a parallel connection terminal; and

a second variable resistor coupled between the second input terminal and the parallel connection terminal,

wherein the switch is configured to selectively couple the output terminal to one from among the parallel connection terminal and the third input terminal according to the switch control signal, and

wherein the battery management system is configured to control the first variable resistor and the second variable resistor according to the swelling data value and the state of charge to adjust a ratio between a charging or discharging current flowing into or out of the battery module and a charging or discharging current flowing into or out of the auxiliary battery module.

7. The battery pack of claim 1,

wherein the battery management system is configured to charge and discharge the battery module, repeatedly, when the swelling data value is greater than or equal to a reference battery swelling value and the state of charge has reached a limit.

8. The battery pack of claim 7,

wherein an electrical load is coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, and

wherein the battery management system is configured to discharge the battery module through the electrical load when the swelling data value is greater than or equal to the reference battery swelling value and the state of charge has reached the limit.

9. The battery pack of claim 1,

wherein the battery management system further comprises:

a swelling sensor configured to receive the swelling data value to determine whether a degree of swelling is greater than or equal to a swelling reference value;

a range limiter configured to limit the state of charge of the battery module to be within a range between a charging limit and a discharging limit; and

a corrector configured to discharge the battery module when the state of charge is greater than or equal to the charging limit and to charge the battery module when the state of charge is less than or equal to the discharging limit.

10. A method for operating a battery pack comprising a battery module, the method comprising:

sensing whether or not the battery module is swollen;

monitoring a state of charge of the battery module;

determining whether a state of the battery module is a charging state or a discharging state;

when the state of the battery module is the charging state, determining whether or not the state of charge is greater than or equal to a charging limit;

when the state of the battery module is the discharging state, determining whether or not the state of charge is less than or equal to a discharging limit; and

controlling the charging and discharging of the battery module according to at least one of the state of the battery module, the state of charge of the battery module, or whether or not the battery module is swollen.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising charging or discharging the battery module within a state of charge range, which is between the charging limit and the discharging limit.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the battery pack further comprises a sensor to measure a battery swelling measurement value of the battery module, the method further comprising:

when the battery module is swollen and the state of charge is greater than or equal to the charging limit or lesser than or equal to a discharging limit, disconnecting the battery module from an external device to stop the charging or the discharging of the battery module,

wherein the battery module is sensed to be swollen when the battery swelling measurement value is greater than or equal to a reference battery swelling value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the battery pack further comprises an auxiliary battery module, the method further comprising:

when the battery module is disconnected from the external device to stop the charging of the battery module, connecting the auxiliary battery module to the external device to start the charging of the auxiliary battery module; and

when the battery module is disconnected from the external device to stop the discharging of the battery module, connecting the auxiliary battery module to the external device to start the discharging of the auxiliary battery module.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the battery pack further comprises a sensor to measure a battery swelling measurement value of the battery module, and an auxiliary battery module, the method further comprising:

measuring the battery swelling measurement value;

when the state of the battery module is the charging state, adjusting a ratio between a charging current provided to the battery module and a charging current provided to the auxiliary battery module according to the state of charge of the battery module and the battery swelling measurement value; and

when the state of the battery module is the discharging state, adjusting a ratio between a discharging current provided from the battery module and a discharging current provided from the auxiliary battery module according to the state of charge of the battery module and the battery swelling measurement value.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

when the state of the battery module is the charging state, begin discharging the battery module when the battery module is swollen and the state of charge is greater than or equal to the charging limit; and

when the state of the battery module is the discharging state, begin charging the battery module when the battery module is swollen and the state of charge is less than or equal to the discharging limit.

16. An idle stop and go system for a vehicle comprising:

a positive bus;

a negative bus;

a power generation module coupled between the positive bus and the negative bus;

a starter motor coupled between the positive bus and the negative bus;

an electrical load coupled between the positive bus and the negative bus;

a main controller configured to generate a main control signal; and

a battery pack comprising;

a first terminal coupled to the positive bus;

a second terminal coupled to the negative bus;

a battery module coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal and having a state of charge;

a sensor configured to measure a swelling of the battery module and to generate a swelling data value; and

a battery management system configured to receive the main control signal, and to control a charging and a discharging of the battery module to reduce a swelling rate of the battery module or to correct the swelling of the battery module according to at least one of the swelling data value, the state of charge, or the main control signal.

17. The idle stop and go system of claim 16, wherein the battery pack further comprises:

a selector coupled between the first terminal and the battery module, the selector comprising;

a plurality of input terminals;

an output terminal coupled to the first terminal; and

a switch configured to selectively couple the plurality of input terminals to the output terminal according to a switch control signal generated by the battery management system; and

an auxiliary battery module coupled between the selector and the second terminal,

wherein the plurality of input terminals comprises;

a first input terminal coupled to the battery module;

a second input terminal coupled to the auxiliary battery module; and

a third input terminal not coupled to either of the battery module or the auxiliary battery module, and

wherein the switch is configured to selectively couple the output terminal to at least one from among the first input terminal, the second input terminal, and the third input terminal according to the switch control signal.

18. The idle stop and go system of claim 17,

wherein the selector further comprises:

a first variable resistor coupled between the first input terminal and a parallel connection terminal; and

a second variable resistor coupled between the second input terminal and the parallel connection terminal, and

wherein the switch is configured to selectively couple the output terminal to one from among the parallel connection terminal and the third input terminal according to the switch control signal.

19. The idle stop and go system of claim 16,

wherein the battery management system is configured to charge and discharge the battery module, repeatedly, when the swelling data value is greater than or equal to a reference battery swelling value and the state of charge has reached a limit.

20. The idle stop and go system of claim 19,

wherein the battery management system is configured to discharge the battery module through the electrical load when the swelling data value is greater than or equal to the reference battery swelling value and the state of charge has reached the limit.